Bartlett trustees weigh ending permit parking and making downtown parking free

Trustees at Bartlett’s Committee of the Whole on June 2 discussed ending the quarterly permit parking program and whether to make downtown parking free, after staff presented revenue and expense figures showing the parking fund remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

The issue matters because making parking free would eliminate the separate parking enterprise fund and shift a roughly $200,000 negative balance to the village general fund, staff said. Tyler, a village staff member who presented the figures, said: "If parking is made free, the parking fund would go away completely." He told trustees that fiscal 2026 parking revenues were about $99,000, down from roughly $225,000 pre-COVID, while budgeted expenses for the parking program were about $75,000.

Trustee Dainy, who chairs the Public Works and Golf Committee, said eliminating fees is intended to simplify parking rules and help downtown businesses. "I would like you to go back and figure out what Metra is going to charge us and what our requirements are for Metra," Dainy told staff, instructing them to return with clear numbers and options for implementation.

During the presentation, staff outlined which costs would vanish if parking became free — paybox and credit-card processing fees and the pay-station service agreement — and which would remain and require general-fund support, including utilities (about $12,500), landscaping (about $13,000) and some internet/paybox connectivity. Tyler said the parking fund’s cash position has recovered from deeper pandemic losses but is still about $200,000 negative and that the village had a modest net of roughly $25,000 in the most recent fiscal year after accounting for reduced expenses.

Trustees pressed for usage data and enforcement details. Staff reported weekday averages (about 196 on Mondays, 265 on Tuesdays/Wednesdays, 225 on Thursdays and 105 on Fridays) and confirmed that enforcement of overnight parking restrictions would continue. Trustees also noted inconsistent figures in materials about the total number of spaces and asked staff to reconcile those counts.

Board members discussed revenue-replacement options if fees are eliminated. Several trustees suggested leasing space for electric vehicle (EV) chargers or pursuing long-term leases to third-party operators; staff said lots 5 and 11 appear most suitable for chargers and agreed to provide a range of potential revenue and contract terms. "We can move forward and send this to the board for a vote or to eliminate this," Dainy said, directing staff to bring back Metra’s terms, an estimate for six EV charging spots sited outside areas slated for future redevelopment, and comparable examples from other municipalities.

Staff also confirmed the quarterly permit program has already been canceled this quarter and that about 40 previous permit holders were converted to daily parking. Trustees discussed whether to keep a small set of reserved commuter spaces if the village moved to broadly free parking and asked staff to draft signage and re-numbering plans to reduce confusion for residents and visitors.

No formal vote on eliminating fees was recorded at the committee meeting. The committee voted to adjourn after the discussion; Trustee Dainy moved to adjourn and Trustee Swansky seconded. The village clerk called the roll and multiple trustees answered in the affirmative.

What’s next: staff will return to the board with clarified Metra rent and requirement figures, reconciled parking-space counts, and financial scenarios for EV charger leases and consolidated parking options. The board indicated a preference to move forward with staff work rather than hold another committee-level discussion first.